TMNT Christmas Carols
by two-roads-and-a-penny
Summary: A collection of one-shots based on various Christmas carols.
1. Jingle Bells

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all that that implies.

This is a series of one-shots based on Christmas carols that I wrote for a DA secret santa swap. I will be posting a new one every day until New Years (or at least the next 4 days).

All the brotherly fluff.

* * *

 **Jingle Bells**

"Cowabunga!"

"MIKEY!" Raph shouted as his youngest brother's sled kicked up enough snow to entomb him where he stood on the hill. "That's it you little punk! I'm gonna bury your shell so deep you won't be found till summer!"

Mikey laughed as his brother started chasing him down the hill. Mission accomplished. "You gotta catch me first, Raphie!"

"When I get my hands on you—HEY!" Again, Raph was pelted with snow by a sled speeding by.

"Sorry, Raph," Don shrugged mischievously.

"Sorry my shell!" Raph growled, padding his hands against the snow to give his sled a boost. By the time he made it to the bottom, both his younger brothers were already holding their sleds, readying to head back up the hill.

"Getting slow in your old age there, Raphie-boy?" Mikey avoided a smack to his head as he smirked at Raph's glower.

"Laugh it up, chuckles." Raph shook more snow from his carapace. "Something was makin' my sled slow down. Don musta messed with it."

"I did not!"

"Dude, it's not our fault you're too heavy to fly down the hill like us sleeker models."

"Actually Mikey," Don interjected. "Heavier objects fall at a faster rate than lighter objects, so his muscle mass should work in his favour."

"Huh," Mikey cocked his head to the side. "Does that mean I have more muscles than Raph!?"

"Not likely," Raph scoffed. "Just more pizza."

"Well then maybe you should follow my example, because," Mikey leaned in close to Raph's face with the smuggest look he could muster. "I still won."

"Technically," Don again corrected as Raph attempted another swipe at his brother's face. "Leo won. He made it to the bottom first."

Raph hadn't even noticed Leo going down the hill. Or at the bottom, now that he looked around. "Where'd Fearless get to, anyway?" Don pointed to the top of the hill where Leo stood with his sled, looking down at them with a wicked grin across his lips. Raph rolled his eyes. "Figures."

The younger three charged to the top where Leo was waiting. "Took you all long enough."

"Don messed with my sled."

Don let out an exasperated sigh. "I didn't touch your sled!"

"Him and Mikey were teamin' up."

"I see." Leo looked from brother to brother with humour in his eyes. "A team up?"

Leo turned to Mikey with a look in his eyes that the youngest instantly recognized as mischievous. How rare was it that Leo actually wanted to do something fun!? He jumped at the chance without hesitation. "YES! Dudes, a team race to the bottom of the hill! Last ones down have to do all the chores for the rest of the week!"

Raph cocked an eye ridge. "Me an' Leo against you two?"

Don nodded. "I'd agree to those terms."

The two oldest exchanged a glance and a grin. "Alright. We accept your challenge."

"Alright!" Mikey threw a victorious fist in the air. "Racers, to your posts!"

As the four gathered their sleds and walked to the edge of the hill, Casey took a seat next to Splinter and April on the bench nearby. "So, anyone takin' bets?"

"Bets on who wins or bets on who will actually make it to the bottom?" April smiled when she saw Splinter hide a grin.

"On your marks, get set," Mikey paused for dramatic effect, looking over at his siblings as they crouched with their sleds. "…GO!"

And they were off.

The two older siblings took an early lead. Raph turned enough to flash a cocky smirk at his younger brothers when he heard Mikey shout "NOW!" Suddenly Mikey was off his sled, grabbing the end of Donnie's bo, who whipped it forward to send Mikey shooting down on the hill on his shell, passing the older two and knocking them both off their sleds.

Raph shook the snow from his head and glared. "MIKEY! That's cheating!"

"Nu uh! Don said it's physics!"

Raph glowered as Don chuckled on his way past his brothers.

"Looks like we've been had." Leo commented dryly as he removed some snow from his shoulder. He glanced at the pile in his hand and turned to Raph with a playful glint in his eyes. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Raph took one look at the snow and grinned devilishly. "Now you're speakin' my language, Fearless."

Further down the hill, Mikey laughed when he saw both older siblings sitting in the snow. "Hey, Don! I think we're actually going to win!"

"You sound surprised."

"Not about us winning, I just expected more of a fight."

"Well I wouldn't put it past them to—" Don barely caught sight of something sailing passed his face before he heard Mikey grunt and flip over onto his stomach, skidding to a stop several feet from the bottom of the hill. "Mikey!" Before he even had a chance to turn and find the source, another object hit the legs of his sled so hard, it was knocked out from under him, sending Don flopping to a stop next to his younger brother.

A victorious chuckle was heard from further up the hill as Leo and Raph high-fived.

"Hey! What's the big idea!?" Mikey cried, huffing as he brushed snow from his shell.

Don also piped in once he cleared his face of a mouthful of powder. "This was a race, not a snowball fight! That's cheat—" Another snowball came flying down the hill, hitting him square in the face. He blinked through the ice with an unamused glare.

"Physics, Donnie." Leo smirked. "Physics."

Mikey couldn't help an impish grin as he heft himself free from the rest of the snow. "Oh, so that's how we're gonna play it…" Glancing at Don, Mikey nodded, swiping up a handful of snow and shouting with glee. "IT'S WAR!"

And so it began.

Don started by building a fort for himself and Mikey, as Leo scouted out the most strategic point on the hill for him and Raph to make their attack.

The sound of mischievous laughter wafted up the hill to where Splinter, April and Casey sat, watching the whole event with barely contained laughter.

"Looks like you were right, Babe."

"I know my brothers." April nodded.

"Well it ain't like they're the most unpredictable bunch a—" A snowball to the face cut Casey off. He glared in the direction of the laughter.

"Whattya know, Case, that big bone-head of yours is good for somethin'!" Raph chuckled wickedly.

"Oh, that's it. You're askin' for it, Raphie-boy. GOONGALA!" He shouted, charging toward his friend with several handfuls of snow.

"YEAH! Casey's on our side!" Mikey cheered from down the hill.

"Doesn't two against three seem a little un—" Once again, Don's objections were silenced by a snowball to his head. He looked up the hill with wide eyes. "April?"

"Just keeping things even, Don." She shrugged, chucking another snowball in his direction.

"Alright! Now it's a party!" Mikey could barely contain his excitement as he built an array of snowballs to throw at Leo, who was slowly making his way closer to the soon-to-be-dubbed 'Fortius Maximus' stronghold Don was building.

Splinter smiled from his bench, thoroughly enjoying the sight of his family frolicking frivolously in the snow. Such peaceful moments were few and far between, and with the mounting dangers that seemed to follow his boys around at every turn, it was a breath of fresh air to see them simply having fun together.

"Sensei, look—"

Splinter raised a paw to catch the snowball that had been coming for his head. The activity on the hill ceased as everyone froze, staring with wide eyes.

Splinter stood silently, his face completely blank.

"Sensei, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—" Mikey was silenced by Don before he could do any more damage.

Splinter turned to his children. "If that is to be the way of it." A grin split his lips, and before any of them could blink, they'd all been pegged by an incoming snowball.

"No way…" Raph gawked.

"Dudes, YES! Everyone against Sensei!"

"I believe the colloquial term for this situation would be," Splinter took a combative stance, snowball in hand. "Bring it on."

* * *

Next one will be late tomorrow night, most likely.

 _End of Line_

 _-TRAaP_


	2. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

This one actually started as the "Night Before Christmas" story originally asked for, but somehow morphed into something else that I decided to run with.

Beware the turtle-children fluff.

* * *

 **Santa Clause is Coming to Town**

"Mikey? What's wrong?" Don asked through a yawn as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His baby brother stood beside his bed, clinging to his teddy bear with worry in his young eight-year-old face.

"Are you sure you're sure he'll come?"

Don sighed audibly. "Mikey, I already told you," He yawned again, blinking his eyes open as he forced his body not to fall back to the pillows. "Santa knows we're down here, he knows everyone's address. He'll come."

"But what if—"

"He'll come. I know he will." Mikey looked about to object when Don cut him off. "He won't come if you don't go to sleep. He only visits when you're asleep."

Mikey's eyes widened in fright as he headed for the door quickly, but paused before reaching the knob and spared a quick glance back at his brother. Twisting his foot inwards and offering his most innocent face, he spoke uncharacteristically quiet. "Don… Can I… Is it OK if I…"

Donnie rolled his eyes at the childish act, scooting over to make room on his bed as he lifted the covers. "Come on." Mikey's eyes lit up as he all but jumped onto the bed beside his brother. "Just don't steal all the blankets!"

* * *

"What are you doing?"

"Ah!" Raph jumped, turning sharply and hiding his hand behind his back, an angry embarrassment colouring his cheeks. "Jeeze, Leo! Why are you sneaking up on me!?"

"I wasn't sneaking."

"You were too! You were doing that ninja-step thing Master Splinter taught us last week!"

Leo beamed slightly, but didn't take his eyes off his brother and his guilty face.

Raph looked anywhere but at Leo, until after a moment of silence, his anger got the better of him. "You just gonna stand there all night? You're supposed to be asleep, ya know!"

"So are you."

Another silence.

"You don't think he's coming?"

"What?" Raph looked up as Leo stepped closer and couldn't help but flinch back. "What are you—?"

"You're eating the cookies for Santa because you don't think he'll come and Mikey'll be upset."

Raph tensed a moment longer before sighing in defeat. Why was Leo always so observant? "I just didn't want him to whine about it! Knowing Mikey, we wouldn't stop hearing about it until next year!"

"Uh huh." Leo smiled, moving closer to his brother by the little decaying tree they'd decorated.

Raph blew out another annoyed breath at the continued stare, finally caving. "Fine! I'm putting it back, OK!"

"OK." Leo lowered himself to sit next to his brother, the slight smile still on his face. He picked up the same cookie Raph had placed back on the plate and broke it in two before chomping down on one half.

"Hey!" Raph cried. "What, I'm not allowed to eat 'em, but you—?" Suddenly Leo was handing Raph the other half of his cookie.

"Mikey'll be upset, right?"

Raph eyed the offering warily. "Yeah, but—"

"I hate seeing Mikey upset."

There was a long pause as Raph just stared at his brother. "Me too…" He grumbled begrudgingly. Eyeing Leo one more time, Raph snatched the cookie from his hands. "This might get us in trouble later, you know."

"I know."

But Leo's smile never faltered. Raph stared him down a few more moments, making sure he wasn't going to run off and wake up Sensei, before eyeing the cookie and shoving it in his mouth.

* * *

"Leo, Raph, good! You're up!"

The elder turtles turned with mouths full of cookie to see Donatello walking towards the tree where they sat.

Raph hid his remaining cookie behind his back. "Weweren'tdoinganything!" He mumbled as crumbs spilled from his mouth.

Leo swallowed, innocently holding out his remaining cookie. "Want one?" He shrugged when Don took it with an accusing look. "We didn't want Mikey to be disappointed."

A wide grin spread across Don's face. "Good. 'Cause I have an idea. We need to get the presents from Sensei's room." He stood, running toward his Father's door with Leo close behind, but both paused to look back at Raph. "You coming?"

Raph glanced warily at their Father's room, mentally debating his next move. "We're gonna get in trouble."

"Since when does that stop you?" Leo fired casually, earning a glare from his brother.

Don stepped in quickly. "Dad won't mind. Trust me." But Raph only looked at his cookie dejectedly. "…It's for Mikey."

There was a moment of silence before Raph rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. "Fine. But if we get in trouble, I'm blaming you two."

"What else is new." Leo jabbed with a smirk.

"Hurry! Before Mikey wakes up!"

* * *

Mikey's eyes blinked open wearily as he yawned, long and tired. It took him a few more blinks to realize what had woken him; there was a thumping coming from above him.

"Don! Don, do you hear—?" Mikey turned to find himself alone in the bed. Where did his brother go? Naturally, Mikey's young brain knew exactly what must be going on: strange sounds plus a missing family member meant monsters were attacking the lair!

"Hold on, Donnie, I'm comin'!" He leapt from the bed, nearly tripping on the bedding as he grabbed up his teddy and headed for the door. But his courage began to fail him as soon as he reached the knob. Gulping down his fear, Mikey took a deep breath and opened the door, peering around the corner. No signs of monsters or his brothers. He was about to run to Leo's room when a light at the end of the hallway caught his eye. It looked like it was coming from the living room.

Another series of small thumps above him had the young turtle squeaking and nearly running back into his room.

Courage, Mikey, courage. Gotta find Donnie.

Cautiously, he made his way down the hallways, holding Teddy in front of him for protection. As he came closer, he heard another sound; it was deep and rumbling, almost like Sensei's voice, but rounder. But it wasn't the growl of a monster, it sounded like a… laugh? Wait a minute… he knew that laugh! It sounded like—it coulde't be!

Mikey charged the rest of the way, nearly tripping as he rounded the corner to the living room. What he saw stopped him cold, dropping his jaw instantly.

The whole living room was lit up with festive lights and scented candles, including their little Christmas tree, which now housed several beautifully wrapped packages beneath it's branches. It looked just like Mikey always pictured a Christmas to look after a visit from—

"Michelangelo."

Mikey nearly jumped when Splinter placed a hand on his shoulder from behind. "Sensei! Did you do all this?"

Splinter looked around, eyeing all the old, scavenged decorations, carefully. "I did not."

Mikey gawked. "Did you hear the thumping!? Did it sound like hooves to you!? Do you think—"

Another loud thump cut him off. He looked to the ceiling, wondering how this was possible, when suddenly a loud "HO, HO, HO!" echoed through the sewer walls, followed closely by the jingling of bells, disappearing through the ceiling almost as quick as they'd come.

Mikey's eyes grew wide with excitement. It was him… he really came! Just like in the stories! "Santa! It was Santa!" He grabbed Splinter's hand and shook it vigorously as he pointed where the sound had left. "Did you hear that Sensei!? Santa was here! Look, he brought presents and lights and—" He glanced at the coffee table by the tree. "He even ate the cookies and drank the milk! I can't believe the guys missed it!" His bright eyes danced as he spoke, looking up to his Father. "Did you see that, Sensei!? Did you see what Santa did!?"

Splinter looked around the room again, his gaze inconspicuously following the line of junked speakers now hastily adhered to the wall, to the far corner of the room where three young turtles sat in the shadows, holding a microphone to some props and fiddling with a switch board of some kind.

Splinter nodded "Soka."

Mikey bounded up and down. "Isn't it amazing!?"

"Yes, my son," He made eye contact with Donatello from his spot in the shadows, and smiled. "Truly amazing."

* * *

Next one will be up on Thursday.

 _End of Line_

 _-TRAaP_

 _*Soka (pronounced soh-kah) means "I see" or "I understand"_


	3. I'll be Home for Christmas

Next instalment. I apologize that this is late, I had a computer crash that erased my files once again. This piece actually had a lighter feel to it in the other version, but as I was rewriting I was taken down a different path (different music, I guess) and this is what I ended up with. I hope it makes sense.

Also… Happy New Year.

* * *

 **I'll Be Home for Christmas**

Don walked around the room, a light smile on his face. It wasn't much; just a few pieces of garland, some tinsel, and a couple strings of multicoloured lights, but to Don it was better than any Christmas decorations he'd ever seen. The room wasn't very big or extravagant, had no windows, and only the one door, which gave it a more intimate feel. Raph was going to hate that. But it was inevitable that Raph was going to hate something about this get-together. He hadn't exactly been the cheeriest person lately. Not that Don could blame him…

He'd been through a lot. All his family had.

Which is why Don was determined to make sure they had at least one night to relax and be with each other.

As he was checking that everything was in it's place, Don smiled to April and Casey when they walked in.

"You sure we should be doin' this?" Casey asked as he took a seat on one of the old couches.

"Too late to cancel now." April placed her gift under the pile of sticks taped together like a tree as Don checked the lights. "Besides, it's tradition."

"I just mean the guys might not be in much of a Christmas mood. After everything that's happened…"

Don saw Casey glance his way by the tree and averted his gaze.

It was his fault… but there was nothing Don could—

"That's why we need to do this." April interjected. "They need family right now more than ever."

Don was about to add his two cents when there was a knock at the door.

"Hola, dudes. Are we late?"

April smiled. "Fashionably, as usual."

The orange-banded turtle laughed, stepping through the door with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, followed closely by Raph and Splinter.

"Thank you for welcoming us into your home, April. I know things haven't been easy for you as of late—"

"Please," April cut in with a hug. "You guys are family. You know you're always welcome. I'm just sorry the new place is so small. With all that's happening in the city lately, it's hard to find available spaces. I hope it's not too cramped."

"It is safe. That is what matters most." Splinter looked around at the decorations, the candles, and then to his children who were already rough-housing with one another, and smiled.

Don noticed his father's content gaze and nodded; this was a good start. It had been a while since he'd seen his father smile like that. "Wait, where's Leo?" He asked, looking around the room.

Almost on cue, Leonardo appeared in the door, closing it quietly behind him. His face was stoic and calm, as always, but there was something in his eyes Don had noticed growing over the past few months. Something cold and hollow. Leo, out of everyone, hadn't been dealing well with recent events, and Don was more than a little worried. Because while his older brother's obsessive tendencies could be an asset in certain situations, in this case they were only driving him into the ground.

Don was determined to change that.

"How was your run, Leonardo?" Splinter asked, knowing full well a training run was not where his son had been.

Leo only shrugged. "Uneventful."

The ice of his brother's tone was heartbreaking, and Don wasn't the only one who took notice. Raph tensed the minute Leo stepped through the door, finding anything on the floor to distract him, and Mikey's smile fell further from his eyes than Don had seen it in a while.

How could he fix this? "Leo—"

"Jeeze, Leo!" Casey snapped his hand away from the turtle's shoulder. "You're like a block of ice! How long were you outside?"

"Dunno." Leo looked at his hands vacantly, and Don could tell his brother didn't feel the cold.

"Well warm up by the fire, bro." Mikey insisted, pushing Leo to sit by the small, makeshift fireplace in the wall. Raph scoot further away on the couch to make room, still refusing to make eye contact.

"We brought pizza and some snacks, if you guys are hungry." April offered, attempting to part the tension in the air.

"Pizza!?" Mikey didn't need to be told twice. He swiped a piece, wolfing it down in a single gulp. "Man, I can't remember the last time we had pizza! Tastes just as delicious as I remember."

"How would you know?" Raph scoffed, pulling his eyes from the floor after sneaking a glance at his older brother. "You literally just inhaled that. Did it even have a chance to touch your taste buds?"

"Don't be jealous of my mad pizza skills, Raphie-boy. We all have to be good at something!" Mikey offered his brother a slice. "I'm good at devouring pizza, and your good at being a grouch." He grinned, pulling the pizza away at the last second and scarfing it down himself.

"Mikey!"

"Just stickin' to my strengths, bro."

Don chuckled, enjoying the banter far more than he expected. But his eyes drifted back to Leo, who was staring at the floor, his gaze as distant as Don had ever seen it.

Almost hollow.

What could he—

"Here." A piece of pizza was unceremoniously thrust in front of the leader's face. Raph turned away as Leo looked up, still unable to meet his brother's gaze. "Eat it. Before the pizza-vacuum over there steals it all."

But Leo only stared at the food, uninterested. "Not hungry."

"Come on, bro," Mikey piped up, moving to Leo's side. "You gotta eat something! You look like you haven't eaten days!"

"I'm not hungry."

Don sighed heavily. Raph looked like he was about to throw the pizza in Leo's face, and a fight was the last thing they needed right now. "Leo…"

"My son," Splinter came to Leonardo's other side by the arm of the couch, placing a paw on his shoulder. "You must eat to keep up your strength. Your leadership is needed now more than—"

"I can't."

The crackle of the fire emphasized the sudden silence. Leo wrung his hands together, his calm façade beginning to crumble.

"Leonardo—"

"I can't do it, Sensei. I can't—… How can you still trust me? After what happened to the city… to—"

"It wasn't your fault, Leo!" Don practically shouted. But his brother paid no mind, his face twisting as he ground his teeth.

"It was my fault. I should have known. Should have seen it coming. Should have done something—anything! But I was too late. I didn't—couldn't—!" The walls of his guarded heart were falling apart, Don could practically see them crumbling. But his oldest brother simply sucked in a breath, steadying himself, and stood. "I should go.

There's talk of Shredder setting up another base on the other side of town and—"

"My son—"

"I'm sorry, Sensei. You guys should celebrate without me."

"Wait, Leo, you can't go." April moved closer as Casey stood in front of the door. "Please… stay."

"I can't…" Leo glanced around the room at the decorations, his eyes falling on Don by the fireplace.

Don froze. The sadness that passed through his brother's eyes in that moment was immense. Gut-wrenching.

His fault.

"Leo…"

His oldest brother took a few steps towards him, that piercing stare seeming more sharp the closer he got. "…I'm sorry."

Don was at a loss for words. "Leo, it wasn't—"

But Leo blinked, and it was gone. "I have to go." Just as he turned from the fire to leave, a strong hand gripped his shoulder.

"It ain't your fault."

"Raph, I don't have time—"

But Raph only stepped closer, his face only inches from his brother's. "Don't think you're the only one feeling this. We all do. We're all hurtin'. And having you brood around feeling sorry for yourself ain't helpin' anything."

Leo glared. "Stand aside, Raph."

"I ain't lettin' you leave."

Mikey tried to diffuse the tension. "Dudes, come on, we're supposed to be celebrat—"

"You think you can stop me?" Leo stood tall. Unphased.

"Yes." As did Raph.

The silence grew, choking the words from everyone in the room.

When suddenly, Raph stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his older brother. Everyone, particularly Leo, blinked in surprise.

"We need you, bro. We won't get through this without you. Can't…"

Don could see Leo's muscles tensing, but his face softened from the anger it held before.

"Raph, I—"

"It wasn't your fault. _None_ of this is."

Leo stood stiff as a board, his eyes so downcast Don couldn't see what was in them.

"He's right." Mikey nodded, standing. "And you know how much I hate agreeing with the grouchy one, so it has to be true." Raph smirked as Mikey wrapped his arms around Leo as well. "We'll get through this. bro. We will. Together. I know it."

Leo didn't look up, his body so tense it was almost trembling. "…But I—"

"Leonardo," Splinter place a paw on his son's arm. "We may never find what was lost. But we must remember what we still have." He gestured to the group around him, making eye contact with Don as he spoke. "Remember that we still have each other."

April and Casey both moved closer, joining in the group hug as Leo looked around at them all. His eyes landed on Don once more, the sadness still overwhelming.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered, letting his head fall onto Raph's shoulder. "I'm so sorry…"

Mikey and Raph both gripped their brother tighter.

"Don't be a dumbass." Raph grumbled.

The group smiled uniformly, holding to their little family circle as the fire crackled behind them.

Don smiled as he wrapped his arms around his family. He felt it. Stronger than he had in eight months, he felt it.

He felt his family. Felt their love.

The smile crept wider as Mikey cracked a joke about Raph's body odor and Raph retaliated by thumping him across the head. They would be OK. He'd make sure of it. His brothers were the strongest people he knew. They would be OK.

Leo managed a small smile as the others broke off to grab more pizza and stop Mikey from opening the presents. He turned back to the fire, staring at Don once more.

"Little brother..." He reached out toward Don, his hand going right through Don's face to touch the picture frame behind him on the fireplace mantle. "You've no idea how much you are missed."

Don only chuckled. He knew. He knew how much his brothers loved him. Could feel it every time he closed his eyes.

"I'm here, Leo." He whispered reaching out to touch his brother's plastron above his heart. "I'm always here."

Leo felt warmth spread through his chest. He smiled. "Thanks, Don."

 _Thank you._

* * *

In case it's confusing, yes, this is a SAINW story. This would be 8 months after Donnie's disappearance, and Shredder is just starting to gain power over the city. I hope it makes sense. If it didn't, please feel free to tell me in the comments.

One more to go.

 _End of Line._

 _-TRAaP_


	4. Silent Night

Late again. Also had been part of the Great Computer Crash of last week. My

apologies… again.

Hope it's not too late for a little Christmas cheer.

* * *

 **Silent Night**

"Increased precipitation levels are wreaking havoc all across the city, causing most major subway lines to shut down. With temperatures at a record low, schools and offices have closed until the blizzard dissipates. A good day to stay inside and drink some hot coco with the family. Hopefully things'll clear up in the next few days, or the Big Man might not get to deliver his presents! We'll keep you updated on power outages and weather reports over the next few hours, and don't forget..."

The car, finally churning free of it's snow prison, drove out of sight, it's radio no longer in earshot. Yoshi squinted his eyes through the wisps of wind, clutching tightly at his robe to fend off the cold. It had been three days of constant snow and howling wind, and there didn't look to be an end in sight. The city, normally bustling with the busy and the homeless, looked deserted as a sunken ship. Most stores were closed, and those that weren't couldn't be stocked. Even the Christmas tree at Rockefeller was devoid of it's usual crowds of families and tourists.

It was the season of giving, and the weather was being bitterly generous.

Yoshi shrugged the snow from his shoulders, making his way across the street to the next dumpster. Despite how barren the city looked, it was still difficult to get around. He'd never experienced a blizzard like this, and he was wholly unprepared. Thankfully, he was provided an extra layer of warmth from his thick fur.

This was his first winter, after all. His first not as a human.

The thought was strange. It had been months since his transformation, and still Yoshi wasn't sure he'd truly accepted what had happened. His mind was constantly trying to pass it off as a dream or elaborate hallucination. Even as he looked at his own hands—paws?—he couldn't convince himself it was possible. Real.

Enough, Yoshi. Now wasn't the time to focus on such things. He had to be quick.

Sifting through trash can after trash can, he made his way through the streets as quickly as was possible in the cold. Finally, he'd finished his circuit and made it back to the manhole nearest his home. Dropping down to the sewers brought protection from the relentless wind, for which Yoshi was grateful. His whiskers were frozen, his fur was like ice, and his whole body ached for sleep.

Almost home.

What he wouldn't give for a warm bed right now. His old home, with his many blankets and his heaters and his hot tea. Oh, how he missed tea. This time of year, he'd be comfortable under the kotatsu, watching the lights of the Christmas tree dance as he sipped his green tea and held his wife close—

Yoshi snapped his eyes shut. Too soon… the pain of his loss was still too raw. Would there ever be a time when he could think back on his wife and not feel grief tear him apart? Glancing at his hand, he idly wondered what she would think… would she be repulsed by his horrid appearance as it was now? Would his daughter—

No. No matter. The past was the past. That life he'd had was gone now. And no amount of nostalgia or regret would bring it back. There was nothing he could do now but think forward.

Nothing he could do…

Sifting through his small bag of scraps, he couldn't help the disappointed sigh that escaped; half the items he'd gone looking for couldn't be found, and the rest were all in very rough shape (who'd have thought he'd actually miss shopping). He did, however, manage to find one discarded mitten and a scarf—likely blown off in the wind—and that was what he needed most now. Warmth. While the sewers were free of the wind for the most part, they were also deeper into the ground, and very cold. And Yoshi had yet to find anywhere secluded enough that had heating. If only he could go back to his apartment, just for the winter months…

This would have to be enough.

As spike of worry in his heart brought speed to his feet as Yoshi remembered his need to get home. He made his way to the abandoned subway station, his heart pounding with each step. The closer he came to home, the more worried he became; the area was too quiet. Shouldn't they be making some kind of noise? What if someone had found them!? Had they frozen in the time he was gone!? He couldn't have been away that long, could he?

There was no grace to the way he made his way deeper into his house, until he came to a large box, covered in scraps of discarded cloth and dirty towels. He all but threw the coverings off, his imagination fearing the worst.

And there they lay, four tiny turtles, all huddled together in a pile, sleeping peacefully.

Yoshi breathed a deep sigh of relief. They were safe and sound. He reached his hand in to caress one of their cheeks, and immediately felt his heart spike with worry once more; their skin was freezing! He pulled them from the box as gently as he could, one by one, wrapping them in the items he'd found. The smallest fit inside the glove, two were able to be wrapped in the scarf, and the fourth he tucked into his robe, hoping and praying his body could provide enough heat, despite how cold his fur was.

Foolish. So foolish! They're cold blooded, of course they'd freeze in this weather. They can't regulate body heat like he can. He should have found some way to keep them warm without leaving. What if they—!

His troubled thoughts were interrupted by a loud yawn from the one in his robe, it's small pupils peeking open to stare right at his face. Yoshi was drawn in by the deep blue of it's eyes, already so strong. So… trusting. It made a gurgling sound, that Yoshi could only guess was a good sign, and wiggled around to burry it's face in his chest, it's small hand gripping his fur as it fell back asleep.

Yoshi smiled helplessly.

He picked up the other three and placed them in his lap, preparing to sit for as long as necessary to keep them warm until the sun returned to the city.

Yes, these past few months had certainly been an unimaginable time, and his mind was still unwilling to believe. He missed what he had taken for granted, and he had no idea how he was to adapt to life as this… creature. But being together with these little ones— _his_ little ones—his heart accepted the truth. No questions, no regrets.

"Daijoubu…" He caressed the cheek of the smallest one in the mitten, unable to shake the smile from his face. "I will take care of you. I promise."

* * *

 _As it was meant to be._

Ok. I'm a sucker for baby turtles AND Father/son relationships. Double whammy. Sue me.

 _End of Line_

 _-TRAaP_

 _*Kotatsu- a table with a blanket over top and a heat source underneath that you sit under to keep warm (hard to explain, google it)._

 _*Daijoubu- it's alright (or it will be alright)._


End file.
